Tp3
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Tp3-1, photographed at the Szczytno depot in August
1961. Photo from my collection.
Side drawing of the KPEV G8 in its final variant, by M.Kratochvil (source: TB vol.1).
Tp3-36, Zbąszynek, summer
2007. Photo by John Bryant (thanks for permission!).
TCDD 44041, preserved
at the Çamlık Buharlı Lokomotif Müzesi,
55 2170, DR (formerly KPEV
Osten 4860), photographed somewhere in Germany, date unknown. Postcard from
my collection.
Tp3-34 (Vulcan
2688/1911), formerly KPEV ‘Posen 4830’, then DRG
55 2025. This engine was one of the last Tp3s in service, finally written off
in March 1970. Photo from my collection.
Despite sporting a ‘5000’ plate, this locomotive is
in fact Orenstein & Koppel
5911/1913, Bromberg 4823. Later it became Tp3-75, then 55 1669 and finally
Tp3-33, to be withdrawn in September 1950. Factory photo, source: www.commons.wikimedia.org.
This locomotive (Hanomag 6721/1913) was originally
delivered to KPEV as Münster 4981. Sold to Turkey in 1916, it became TCDD 44079. Purchased by Eisenbahnmuseum Darmstadt-Kranichstein in 1987, it was re-numbered
Mainz 4981 and is kept in working order. Photo taken at the museum by
Hans-Peter Scholz on May 8, 2005; source: as above. |
Between
1893 and 1917, Prussian state railways (KPEV)
received over 2800 four-axle freight engines, running on saturated steam,
classed G71 and G72. Although their basic concept was
later developed into more powerful class G9, of which 200 examples were built
between 1908 and 1911, advantages of steam superheating became evident much
earlier. First experimental locomotive running on superheated steam – a
rebuilt class S3 express engine – was rolled out in April 1898 and test
results were very encouraging. Due to increasing weight of freight trains and
demands for much higher tractive effort, a freight engine running on superheated
steam was a logical consequence. Such machine, designed by Robert Garbe, was
built by Vulcan in 1902 and classed
G8. New
freighter was based on G71 and G72. Diameter of drivers
was increased from 1250 to 1350 mm, but axle base remained unchanged. Of
course, main differences concerned the boiler. First 153 G8s had a
chamber-type superheater in the smokebox, which was extended to 1800 mm in
length (later further to 2000 mm). This variant had certain shortcomings,
concerning mainly reliability, so later engines had boilers fitted with three
rows of smoke tubes (21 in all) and typical superheater, measuring 40.4 sq.m
in surface. This layout allowed for shorter smokebox (1500 mm) and longer
drum (distance between tube plates increased from 4100 to 4500 mm, as in G71),
better weight distribution and improved performance. First engines had
smaller grate (2200 mm in length) and smaller cylinders (550 mm in diameter,
later increased to 575 mm, 590 mm and finally 600 mm). In its ultimate
version, G8 emerged as a good and reliable machine, considerably more
powerful than its predecessors. However, despite excessive efforts, it proved
impossible to keep axle load below 14 tonnes, as previously demanded. First
variant weighted about 55 500 kg in working order, later modifications
(including strengthening of some elements and air brakes) added about three
tonnes. G8
was ordered in quantity and deliveries continued until 1913, totaling 1055
examples for KPEV from Grafenstaden (35), Hanomag (296), Henschel (74), Orenstein
& Koppel (6), Schichau (296)
and Vulcan (348). These engines
were typically coupled with three-axle 3T12 or larger 3T15 tenders, sometimes
also 3T16,5s or four-axle 2’2’T16s. During the production run, several
modifications were introduced, including fitting Knorr or Westinghouse brakes
instead of steam ones, modified smokestack and raised footplates. Twelve
machines were fitted with Lentz-type poppet-valve gear, ten – with
Stumpf-type steam engine. Late production examples had feedwater heaters. Early
G8s with chamber-type superheaters were rebuilt to the standard configuration
during major overhauls in the 1920s. G8 was supplanted in production by its
improved version G81, differing mainly in boiler pressure, which
was increased from 12 to 14 bar. G81 was destined to become one of
the most widely used steam locomotives in Europe, built in over 5000
examples. During
the war, 46 machines from KPEV were
transferred to Turkish CFOA (Chemins de Fer Ottomans d’Anatolie);
later they were taken over by TCDD
and designated 44001 through 44046. In all, TCDD obtained 83 G8s (possibly a few more); apart those mentioned
above, they included ten brand-new engines, built by Linke-Hofmann in 1924 (s/n 2943 through 2952, TCDD 44047 through 44056). Origin of
remaining 37 examples is less clear. At least five (44057 through 44061),
possibly more, were ex-French surplus engines, sold to Damas Hama et Prolongement railway, then under French control, by
SNCF in late 1930s (in all, 48 were
sold). Other might be from a batch of thirteen engines, sold by
Alsace-Lorraine railways to Smyrne
Cassada et Prolongements in 1934. Finally, several more ex-KPEV engines were supplied during the
extension of CFOA towards Baghdad
in 1917. Even competent Turkish sources (www.trainsofturkey.com) admit that
origin of many individual engines is far from clear. After WWI, Prussian G8s
went to several European countries as war reparations. France received 71
examples. They were assigned to Compagnie
des Chemins de Fer de L’Est and Compagnie
des Chemins de Fer du Nord (58, later passing to SNCF), the remaining 13 went to the Alsace-Lorraine railways (AL). As already mentioned, all but ten
engines from SNCF and all from AL were finally sold to Turkey. G8s
served also in Belgium (SNCB class
80), Austria (ÖBB class 755) and
Hungary (MÁV class 410).
Czechoslovakian railways ČSD received thirteen G8s, classed 425.0 (in
fact, this class included also two G81s); in 1938 they were taken
by MÁV and classed 410.5. After WWII only one was returned, but ČSD
took over further 96 engines, including ten ex-Polish ones. They were not as
attractive booty as thirty years earlier, so only 29 were restored in service
and classed 424.0, to remain in use until late 1950s; most of remaining 68
examples were handed over to PKP (six, all pre-war Tp3s), DR or
SŽD (a least one), the rest were scrapped in 1950. After WWI,
newly-formed DRG were left with 656
locomotives of this type, classed 5516-22; in 1935 twelve more
were absorbed from Saarbahnen. Many
were withdrawn in early 1930s, few went to various private railways, but some
soldiered on to serve with DB or DR after the war. DB had about 200 and last of them survived in service until 1955.
DR were left with about fifty; last
two (55 2014 and 55 2071) were withdrawn in 1969. Polish
railways took over 84 ex-Prussian G8s, which were classed Tp3 and given
service numbers from 1 to 83; one example – Schichau 2007/1912, KPEV
Danzig 4812 – was used in Gdańsk and designated Tp3-1Dz. Initially these
engines were used mainly in northern Poland. A few were converted to oil
firing and used on the Hel peninsula, where fire hazard excluded coal firing.
In late 1920s and early 1930s many were transferred to southern and
south-eastern regions, to supplement and later supplant ageing and
comparatively weak Austrian locomotives, mainly class Tp15 (ex-KkStB class
73). Due to their low axle load they were well suited for service in areas
where weak tracks dominated. Only one (Tp3-4) was written off before 1939.
After the September campaign, 35 Tp3s were captured by Germans and given DRG
service numbers between 55 1604 and 55 1676 (all assigned for the second
time, after those withdrawn before the war). 39 went to the Soviet Union and
some were certainly converted to the 1524 mm track; no distinct class
designation was assigned and the engines retained their Polish service
numbers. Fifteen fell into German hands after Fall Barbarossa and at
least eleven were given DRG service
numbers; those in the Ostbahn service retained their original PKP numbers.
Tp3-26 (Schichau 1885/1910, KPEV Posen 4825) was evacuated to
Hungary in 1939 and later served with MÁV as 410,614, then went to industry.
According to LP, Tp3-41 (Hanomag 6360/1911, KPEV Hannover 4823) was in 1939 taken over by Lithuanian state railways LG
and included into class P8 (ex-KPEV G81) with the service
number 331, to fall into Soviet hands in 1940. This seems quite possible, as a
number of Tp3s were transferred to Wilno in late 1930s. According to some
sources, Tp3-41 was evacuated to Slovakia (no details concerning its ultimate
fate) and LG 331 was in fact Tp3-68. The fate of seven
Tp3s remains unknown. At least three G8s (most probably captured
Prussian engines) were armored in 1921 and used in two makeshift armored
trains ‘Zygmunt Powstaniec’ and ‘Testar’ (later ‘Nowak’) during the 3rd
Silesian Uprising. Details can be found at www.derela.republika.pl (in
English). These engines returned to ‘civil’ configuration between 1922 and
1923, but I have no information if they were impressed into PKP
service. After
1945, only eleven pre-war Tp3s returned to Poland, some of them after a brief
period with ČSD as class 424.0. One of them (Tp3-10) was scrapped in
1946 without being assigned a new service number. Tp3-36 from DR
followed in 1955 and was also immediately scrapped. However, PKP acquired 41 ex-DRG engines, of which 35 were
renumbered and impressed into PKP service; the rest were written off
until 1946. Post-war class Tp3 thus numbered 45 examples. Most of these old
and obsolescent engines were used for secondary duties, but in early 1950s
Tp3s hauled even light passenger trains. Most were withdrawn from service in
late 1950s. Several went to various industrial operators; in 1954 four were
withdrawn form PKP and transferred to a track maintenance
establishment. Two followed in 1969 to a power station. Last two in the PKP inventory (Tp3-7 and Tp3-36) were
written off in October 1970. The latter (Hanomag
6712/1913, KPEV Bromberg 4832 and
later Osten 4804, DRG 55 2199) saw last service in August 1968 and
later, for a short time, was used as a stationary boiler. It was externally
refurbished in 1988 and is currently plinthed in Zbąszynek; some foreign
sources claim that it has been handed over to the PSMK railway fan company, which is not true. In November 2018 it
was transferred to Poznań. Apart
from Tp3-36, a number of former G8s have survived until today. TCDD 44079 (Hanomag 6721/1913, KPEV Münster
4981) was purchased for the railway museum at Darmstadt-Kranichstein,
Germany, in 1987; in 1993 this engine was overhauled in Poland by Interlok and is kept in working order.
Seven more Turkish engines still exist: one (44041) is on display at the Çamlik Buharli Lokomotif Muzesi (Çamlik
steam locomotive museum), three more are plinthed at various locations.
Finally, there are two at the Museo
Ferroviario Piemontese in Savigliano, Italy: FS 422.009 ‘Lucia’ (Hanomag
6382/1912, KPEV Halle 4813) is
in working order and sometimes runs with special trains, while 422.022 is
awaiting restoration. Main technical data
Note:
data refer to the final production variant. List of
vehicles can be found here. 1) Some
sources give 137.5 m2. 2) After
WWII – seven more engines written off with no PKP service numbers assigned. 3) Some
engines had 16D1 or 16D2 tenders, few had 17C1 tenders. 4) With
the 12C1 tender. 5)
Ten built for Turkey in 1924. References
and acknowledgments
-
Monographic article by Paweł Terczyński (SK
vol. 4/2006); -
Ingo Hütter’s website www.lokomotive.de/lokomotivgeschichte/datenbank;
-
TB vol.1, EZ, LP. |
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